Clapham: James Richard (Jamie)

2007-2007 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

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Born: Lincoln: 07-12-1975

Debut v Nottingham Forest (a): 25-08-2007

5’9” 10st 11lb (2007)

His career started at Tottenham Hotspur, although he only made one appearance for the club, as a substitute, in a 2-1 defeat to Coventry City at White Hart Lane on 11th May 1997. Prior to that single game, he had had loan spells at Leyton Orient (six games between 29th January and 22nd February 1997) and Bristol Rovers (four starts and one substitute appearance between 27th March and 26th April 1997). The next season saw him loaned out to Ipswich Town for two months between 9th January and 12th March 1998 and, after twelve starts in the League, the move then became permanent for a fee of £300,000 on 13th March 1998. In 1999, he was voted Ipswich Town's "Player of the Year". He also tasted European action with the club, and the played twelve games in the UEFA Cup in two successive campaigns in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. Relegation, at the end of the 2001-02 season, led to the club going into administration and created a need to sell players. Clapham was one such player. He was sold to Birmingham City for £1.3 million on 10th January 2003, after four years with the East Anglian club. After signing permanently for the Tractor Boys he had made another one hundred and eighty starts and twenty substitute League appearances and scored nine goals, the most notable coming from his renowned left-footed free kicks. He also scored one goal in seven F.A. Cup appearances, of which three were from the bench, and four more in nineteen starts and one game from the bench in the League Cup and another one in seventeen starts and two games from the bench in other games. At St Andrew's he settled into the team and was a virtual ever present until a hamstring injury forced him out in December 2003. His recovery was hampered when he suffered shingles during February 2004, and he was unable to return until April 2004. In the following two seasons, he remained a squad player with competition for his slot from a number of players, such as Stan Lazaridis and Julian Gray, limiting his appearances. He was released by the club in May 2006 after they had slipped from the top flight. He played in eighty-four League games over three seasons, of which fifteen were as a substitute, and scored once, albeit against Manchester United. He had also played six F.A. Cup ties, including three from the bench, and started five, and come from the bench twice, in the League Cup. In July 2006, Clapham had a trial with Sheffield United and played seventy-five minutes of a pre-season clash with Rotherham United. Clapham also received interest from his former club Ipswich Town before choosing to sign for CCCL side Wolves on 2nd August 2006 on a two year deal. He played in just twenty-six League games, including five as a substitute, during 2006-07 (without scoring) and was put on the transfer list at the end of it. However, there were no takers for the defender in the close season and he began the 2007-08 campaign still at Molineux. He joined League One Leeds United on 20th August 2007 and remained at Elland Road on loan for three months, returning to Molineux on 21st November 2007. He was something of a lucky talisman for United as they were defeated only once in the fifteen games in which he took part, as he started twelve and came off the bench once in the League and made one substitute appearance in each of the F.A. Cup and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. He left Wolves for Leicester City on a free transfer on 31st January 2008, after twenty-one starts and five games off thebench in League matches and one start in the F.A. Cup and a start and a game from the bench in the League Cup. He did not stay long at Leicester City leaving at the end of the season after just eleven starts in the League. He joined Notts County on a free transfer on 19th September 2008. In January 2009, he signed an eighteen month contract extension to keep him at the club until May 2010, but his contract was not renewed at its completion. He scored three times in fifty-seven starts and thirteen substitute appearances in the League and eight starts in the F.A. Cup, as well as one each in the League Cup and Johnstone Paint Trophy. On 19th July 2010 he agreed a one year contract with the City of his birth, Lincoln City. After the Imps had lost their League status a mass clear-out ensued and he was not offered a new contract. He had scored one League goal from twenty-one starts and four games from the bench, together with one goal and two F.A. Cup Starts and also coming on as a substitute in one League Cup tie. After a trial with Kettering Town he was signed by them on 1st August 2011. His father, Graham, played for Chester City and Shrewsbury Town in the 1970's and his maternal Grandfather, Bert Wilkinson, played for Lincoln City in the late 1940's